Author / Writer / Book
Lover - which are you?
LP ~ Book Lover! With a busy life, I wasn’t a reader for quite some time in my
adult life, or during my younger years. Now, (I’m still insanely busy) but I
find myself looking for time to sneak away by myself to read a few pages. It
allows me a little time to forget about all of my worries and focus on someone
else’s story.
Title of book
and year published
Wonder ~ published 2012
Author ~ R.J. Palacio
Type of book
LP ~ It’s hard to classify this book, but a large portion of the book is humorous and yet also has a serious side, while dealing with true emotions of a boy, and those around him.
What is it about this
book that pulled you in?
LP ~ I originally started reading this book as extra credit for part of a
course for my Elementary Education degree. My instructor was so passionate that
every teacher should read this book, however it didn’t fit within the
curriculum to require us to read this amazing story. The instructor ultimately
offered bonus points for those of us that read it and wrote a summary on it.
It didn’t take long for me to dive into the book, and as
soon as I was finished I passed it on to my 3rd grade daughter who
was 8 years old at the time. I was a little concerned about some of the topics
covered at her age, but I felt that she would benefit from the story and she is
rather mature and a great reader for her age.
Is there a relationship
in the story that resonated with you?
LP ~ For me, I could personally relate to the family dynamics within the
story. I have a son who is on the Autism Spectrum, so I have had to adjust many
things throughout our lives to accommodate his needs. A mother’s love is
endless, and a person will do just about anything to protect their child from
the outside world that might hurt them. Often times it is not physical abuse
that a parent is worried about; it is the teasing, bullying, the sideways looks
and staring, and the whispers behind a hand. I’ve been called a “Grizzly Bear”
before when it comes to protecting my son, I would do anything and everything to
keep him safe and comfortable.
Do you think that
relationship was portrayed realistically?
LP ~ The author does an amazing job of showing different viewpoints of the
characters. As I read a page written from the sister, Via’s, point of view, I
immediately started crying. With tears overflowing from my eyes and blurring
the words on the page, I had never fully imagined that my own daughter might be
having those same feelings and emotions. I apologized to her that night for
ever making her feel like she was less important than her brother, it’s simply
that their needs are different.
Anything else you want
to tell us about the book without giving away too much of the plot?
LP ~ This book has such a beautiful story from the first pages you will turn. Whether we like to admit it or not, at some point in our lives, we have probably judged someone by first glance without knowing a thing about them. R.J. Palacio did a phenomenal job at giving the various perspectives to really understand the feelings and emotions attached to all of the characters. If we had to walk a minute, an hour, a day, week, or years in the shoes of someone who has special needs, we would hopefully think twice about how we have previously treated others, and how we will treat them in the future.
This book is an easy read as the characters thoughts and
viewpoints keep you on your toes. I encourage all adults to read this story,
and if age appropriate, encourage their children to read it as well so you can
have a discussion on how to treat others.
I loved this book so much that I purchased 20 copies last
fall and gifted 10 copies to the 3rd grade teachers to share with
their students. I gifted the other 10 copies to my son and daughter’s teachers
and aids as Christmas gifts so they could enjoy the story of Auggie as well.
The author's website: http://rjpalacio.com/author.html
JHA ~ Thanks so much, Laura, for recommending this fabulous book for both young adult and adult readers. I purchased it recently, based on your recommendation, and look forward to reading it!
Attention readers ~ Have YOU read this book? If so, tell us what YOU thought of it!
JHA ~ Thanks so much, Laura, for recommending this fabulous book for both young adult and adult readers. I purchased it recently, based on your recommendation, and look forward to reading it!
Attention readers ~ Have YOU read this book? If so, tell us what YOU thought of it!
Interested in being a contributor? Contact me via email link on my website home page (www.JillHannahAnderson.com) at jilla27@gmail.com.
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Laura's daughter with her WONDER school project!
Laura, you and your instructor are very dedicated by placing such high importance on this book. It sounds awesome and I am excited to read it. Thanks for your review.
ReplyDeleteI bought the book, Susan, and hope to read it soon. It sounds like it should be a required read for all pre-teens and teens!
DeleteI loved this book, too. Palacio does a great job of painting the picture of human nature. When I read an author interview once, I discovered that Palacio basically wrote this book purposely as a message, which I have to admit, is not my favorite reason for writing a novel, but fortunately, I think she managed to pull it off - a story that's real and not preachy/overly didactic. I will join in with highly recommending this one.
ReplyDeleteI imagine the author never dreamed WONDER would be such a huge hit, Janet! So her message definitely got out. :) (Now, if only bullying would truly stop!) I'm looking forward to reading this book.
DeleteThis is Laura :)
DeleteAlso in our BSU Education program, we often talked about “The Power of One”. One individual can have such a large impact on others, without even putting in much effort. The power of one amazing teacher could mean a student like Auggie would feel like he belongs in the classroom environment. That student is comfortable to take risks and learn right alongside his peers. Shouldn’t we have an open discussion with our own children to facilitate how they interact with students they come in contact with?
Can we, as individuals on a daily basis, become that powerful person? So often we are in a hurry with our busy lives and running non-stop. We get in a checkout line behind a single mother with 3 kids squirming in all different directions. The mom is digging in her purse to find the coupons she needs to save herself $10, in the meantime those angels are trying to throw treats on the conveyor belt and the cashier is glaring over the register as she is holding up the flow of customers.
Now imagine that one (or more) of those “wild” kids has special needs that aren’t “seen” on the outside. Would we treat that mother with more kindness if we knew the child couldn’t control their impulses? What if the child is on sensory overload from the noises, the smells, the textures around him? Should we pass judgment on those who were born with different abilities than a typical child?
We can all choose to look away and move on with our day, or we could choose to help that mother in a small gesture. Instead of staring at someone for the way they look or act, reach out a hand for assistance and try to imagine how they are feeling at that moment.
The author did an amazing job of empowering those students to join together to support Auggie, instead of them originally banding together to treat him as an outcast. Love this book!
Wonderful, Laura, absolutely wonderful! So true, and by the sounds of it, this book makes us all think about the little differences we can make in other people's lives. Thanks so much for highlighting WONDER on this blog!
DeleteCheck out the Wonder link at: http://youtu.be/fgB7_KpBDss
ReplyDelete